Let's Celebrate - Day 2

On the second day of the belated celebration, Jen gave to me....

a signed paperback of Hank Phillippi Ryan's award-winning THE OTHER WOMAN!

For those unfamiliar with the book that kicked off her new series, here's a little synopsis:

Jane Ryland was a rising star in television news... until she refused to reveal a source and lost everything. Now disgraced and on the low rung at a local newspaper, she begins to suspect a Senate candidate's hiding a secret mistress—and it's just days before the pivotal election.

Detective Jake Brogan is on the hunt for a killer. When a second woman's body is discovered like the first—by a bridge with no identification—Jake is plagued by a frenzied media convinced that a Bridge Killer is hunting Boston's young women.

As the body count rises and election looms closer, Jane and Jake realize their cases are connected... and they may be facing a ruthless killer who will stop at nothing to silence a scandal. As one character warns: "You can choose your sin—but you cannot choose your consequences."

You can find out exactly why she's winning accolades for this series and get hooked yourself. Just enter below by Sunday (Jan. 26) (US/Canada addresses only please). Good luck!!

A Mark Sullivan/Pre-Bouchercon Contest!

It's Bouchercon Week and soon mystery/crime fiction readers around the country (and the world) will be making their ways to Albany, NY for the great gathering. I've decided that's cause for a giveaway. And don't worry, we'll celebrate with at least one giveaway after the convention as well.

For this one, however, the nice folks at St. Martin's Press sent me a couple copies of Mark Sullivan's ROGUE in paperback. His second Robin Monarch novel, OUTLAW, comes out next month. So if you didn't have a chance to get in on the ground floor of this series before, now is your chance.

The contest is open world wide. Entries need to be in by midnight (Eastern) September 23rd (a week from today). So just fill out the form below and good luck!

GONE MISSING Giveaway!

Linda Castillo is an author in my to be read list, especially since her thrillers are set in Amish Country Ohio. The fourth of her series, Gone Missing, released last week and the generous folks at St. Martin's Press/Minotaur have given me a complete set of the series to give away to a lucky reader.

The series consists of: Breaking Silence, Pray for Silence, Sworn to Silence and Gone Missing.

Here's a little about each of the books:

Sworn to Silence: (first of the series)  In the sleepy rural town of Painters Mill, Ohio, the Amish and English residents have lived side by side for two centuries. But sixteen years ago, a series of brutal murders shattered the peaceful farming community. In the aftermath of the violence, the town was left with a sense of fragility, a loss of innocence. Kate Burkholder, a young Amish girl, survived the terror of the Slaughterhouse Killer but came away from its brutality with the realization that she no longer belonged with the Amish.

Now, a wealth of experience later, Kate has been asked to return to Painters Mill as Chief of Police. Her Amish roots and big city law enforcement background make her the perfect candidate. She s certain she s come to terms with her past until the first body is discovered in a snowy field. Kate vows to stop the killer before he strikes again. But to do so, she must betray both her family and her Amish past and expose a dark secret that could destroy her.

(This one is set to be a made-for-TV movie)

Pray for Silence:  The Plank family moved from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, to join the small Amish community of Painters Mill less than a year ago and seemed the model of the Plain Life—until on a cold October night, the entire family of seven was found slaughtered on their farm. Police Chief Kate Burkholder and her small force have few clues, no motive, and no suspect. Formerly Amish herself, Kate is no stranger to the secrets the Amish keep from the English—and each other—but this crime is horribly out of the ordinary.

When she discovers a diary that belonged to one of the teenaged daughters, Kate is shocked to learn the girl kept some very dark secrets and may have been living a lurid double life. Who is the charismatic stranger who stole the young Amish girl’s heart? As Kate’s outrage grows so does her resolve to find the killer and bring him to justice—even if it means putting herself in the line of fire.

Breaking Silence: The Slabaugh family are model Amish farmers,prosperous and hardworking, with four children and a happy extended family. When the parents and an uncle are found dead in their barn, it appears to be a gruesome accident: methane gas asphyxiation caused by a poorly ventilated cesspit. But in the course of a routine autopsy, the coroner discovers that one of the victims suffered a head wound before death—clearly, foul play was involved. But who would want to make orphans of the Slabaugh’s children? And is this murder somehow related to a recent string of shocking hate crimes against the Amish?

Having grown up Amish, Kate is determined to bring the killer to justice. Because the other series of attacks are designated hate crimes, the state sends in agent John Tomasetti, with whom Kate has a long and complex relationship. Together, they search for the link between the crimes—and uncover a dark secret at work beneath the placid surface of this idyllic Amish community.

Gone Missing:  Rumspringa is the time when Amish teens are allowed to experience life without the rules. It’s an exciting time of personal discovery and growth before committing to the church. But when a young teen disappears without a trace, the carefree fun comes to an abrupt and sinister end, and fear spreads through the community like a contagion.

A missing child is a nightmare to all parents, and never more so than in the Amish community, where family ties run deep. When the search for a presumed runaway turns up a dead body, the case quickly becomes a murder investigation. And chief of Police Kate Burkholder knows that in order to solve this case she will have to call upon everything she has to give not only as a cop, but as a woman whose own Amish roots run deep.

Kate and state agent, John Tomasetti, delve into the lives of the missing teens and discover links to cold cases that may go back years. But will Kate piece together all the parts of this sinister puzzle in time to save the missing teen and the Amish community from a devastating fate? Or will she find herself locked in a fight to the death with a merciless killer?

Sound like something you'd like to check out? Well then here's your chance to win all four books!!
You need to have a US mailing address, no P.O. Boxes, please. And I'll take all entries through Sunday and then enlist the help of Random Number Generator to find a winner.

If you have any questions, feel free to leave them in the comments section or shoot me an email. Good luck...this is great prize. Thanks to the Minotaur folks for providing it!

A DOMINANCE Giveaway

I'm very excited to announce the new contest I have to offer readers. I'm excited because I'M excited to read this book. DOMINANCE is the new puzzle thriller from Will Lavender. You can read about it here. And you can check out Will's website here. And this is a great review from The New York Times. If you're a fan of psychological thrillers, I don't know how you couldn't be excited about this book.

The folks at Simon & Schuster were nice enough to offer me three copies to give away to you three readers, so you know the drill. Just complete the form below. I'll take entries through Sunday, July17th, and you must be residents of US or Canada to enter. If you have any questions, pop me an email. GOOD LUCK!!

It's a GREGG HURWITZ Giveaway!

I hope everyone who celebrated had a nice Easter. I'm off to New York City to help with some Bouchercon stuff. Speaking of Bouchercon! Have you registered yet? If not, don't delay.

Since I'm in New York, the blog will probably be a bit quiet this week. I'll try to post some updates to Facebook and Twitter, but to keep you company here, I have a giveaway! Woo hoo. This giveaway is courtesy of Kaye Publicity and involves one of my favorite crime writers, Gregg Hurwitz. His fantastic novel, THEY'RE WATCHING, is out this week in paperback. So, Dana Kaye is generously providing a copy for me to give away to a lucky reader.

With Gregg at the 2010 L.A. Times Festival of Books

I raved about THEY'RE WATCHING here. And I also interviewed Gregg about this book about this time last year...at the L.A. Times Festival of Books. The video is not that great because of my choice of locations - amateur videographer! But the content is fabulous. Take a listen and then enter to win.

You can enter through Friday, April 29th and I'll pick the winner on Saturday. For this contest, entrants need to be U.S. residents. If you have questions, drop them in the comments section or send me an email. I might be a little slower in responding, but I promise I'll respond.

Without further ado, Here's Gregg!

Part 1:

Part 2:

The Pivot Questions (Don't miss this part!):

A HARD DEATH giveaway!

Earlier this week I reviewed Jonathan Hayes' fantastic new forensics thriller A HARD DEATH. Jonathan has been generous enough to arrange for me to give away THREE signed copies of this must read book.

So if you have a U.S. mailing address, you can enter! I will take entries through next Friday, which also happens to be Good Friday. Then I will draw three winners on Saturday. As always, if you have any questions, drop me an email or leave them in the comments. It's that easy! Good luck.

Marcus Sakey on THE TWO DEATHS OF DANIEL HAYES.

Marcus Sakey and his wife are in the midst of moving, but he generously agreed to chat with me about THE TWO DEATHS OF DANIEL HAYES. I think you'll find that when you read it, you'll want to talk to someone about it, too.  This book will make a fantastic book club selection.

I promised Marcus I would keep the questions to a minimum. You know how I can get with interviews. (You can see the more in depth interview I did with Marcus here: Part 1 and Part 2.) But I'm really excited to share this with you since I am just over the moon in love with this book. Hope you enjoy!

Q. THE TWO DEATHS OF DANIEL HAYES has some major changes for you. One of which is your setting. You've moved from the urban sprawl of Chicago out to Los Angeles. As readers will discover, the setting is rather vital to the plot so did the plot idea come first and you said, I have to put this in LA, it won't work in Chicago? Or did you think, "hey, I want to break away from Chicago for my setting" and then develop the plot from that point?

Marcus: The former. To be honest, I've written about Chicago mostly because I live here. It makes it easier to get details right, and of course if I want to do a ridealong or something, I can arrange it.

It was great fun to write about Los Angeles. She's such a tricky town, a chameleon city with a thousand faces, and I enjoyed dancing with her.

Also, I enjoyed spending a couple of weeks out there for research. Beats a Chicago winter.

Yeah, most of us here in the Midwest can understand that winter issue!

Q. Your books to date have all been stand alones, and I've heard you say that when you finish a book you've had enough of it and you are ready to bid your characters farewell. THE TWO DEATHS OF DANIEL HAYES, however, brings a character back from a previous book. Why the return in this book?

Marcus: You know, he's a slippery sucker. I've actually written him dead a couple of times, and he's come back both times.

To clarify, I should say that I'm annoyed by writers who talk about their characters as if they're possessed of free will. That's a cute conceit, but that's all it is.

It's more accurate to say that sometimes a character brings so much life and energy to the page that you find yourself wondering why you wouldn't reuse them. That was the case here.

Q. Your books are thrillers and are consistently very fast paced. But I find I end up with whiplash reading them because you are also meticulous about the detail. I'm reading along swiftly and then get to a passage like, "Sophie in fragments, slivers of a life framed and hung like butterflies on a board." And not only do I (often out loud) say, "damn, that was an amazing passage" but I have to stop, go back and read it again, maybe a couple times, because in that sentence, there is so much said with so little. So my question here is do you experience that same effect writing that I do reading? Are you moving along at a thriller pace typing and then you stop to ponder, "how am I going to describe this scene?" Or does detail and description like that flow the same way the rest of the writing does? And when you finish a line like that, do YOU think, "damn, that was good?"

Marcus: First off, thank you.

It's hard to explain, because while a lot of it is practiced and honed, some of it is instinctive, and the intersection between the two is murky.

Take details. For me, the least effective way to describe a place is to literally describe it: "There were tables scattered across the floor. The walls were covered with framed artwork. A long oak bar ran along one wall. There were stools in front. Behind it were rows of glass bottles lit by neon."

I mean, it's a bar. We get it. We've been there.

So what I try to do is pick the single detail that tells you more, and then to render it as intuitively as I can. So: "A lazy fan stirred weather patterns in the Parliament smoke."

I also like mixing words in ways that aren't grammar school perfect, but which make emotional sense. "He woke in a beam of sweaty sunlight."

None of which, I'm realizing, really answers your question, but there you go.

It's outstanding, though. You've summed up what bothers me when a scene goes into a bunch of mundane description. It isn't furthering the plot and I'm starting to get distracted.

Q. One of your conventions is inclusion of philosophical questions or situations as themes. THE TWO DEATHS OF DANIEL HAYES is no exception on that front. In fact, some rather weighty philosophical questions are themes here: identity and facades, the importance - or unimportance - of history, and even the idea of soul mates. How is weighty content like that to write? Do you detach personally from it? I would be surprised if you said, "yes" because so much passion comes through. I can't imagine that you could create that passion if you detached from the content. As a reader I feel like I've been changed by the time I get to the last page. How is it for you as the writer? At the end of a writing day or at the end of the book?

Marcus: To me, that's the juice. That's the reason to write the book and, hopefully, the reason to read it. Without that, what are thrillers? Run, run, chase, chase, shoot, shoot. Meh.

I don't detach from it, but I also don't claim to have the answers. The questions are the point. I like thinking about them, and I like forcing my characters into situations where they have to question their own convictions.

I think my favorite moments, though, are the ones when themes come to me unbidden. It's kind of like excavating a skeleton, or carving a statue from a block of marble; you have an idea of the shape, but not every detail of it, and the most enchanting ones are those that surprise you.

In THE AMATEURS, for example, it was the idea of game theory. I hadn't planned to integrate that. In fact, I was about 250 pages in before I realized that it belonged there, that it could tie the whole thing together.

Love those days.

And I sure am glad you have them. It amazes me.

Q. You write about a man who loses his memory. First, did you have any hesitation about the use of amnesia - some, especially television writers, have made a mockery of the plot concept. Next, what did you do to research this? I was so incredibly fascinated by what this character would remember, what he wouldn't remember, what he would think to himself...did he like this smell, would he have done such and such...his frustrations and discoveries. Not that I'm an amnesia expert, but it felt authentic to me. What did you do to ensure that?

Marcus: My hesitation was mostly about not wanting to feel too familiar. As you point out, it's been done numerous times, and I didn't want this to unconsciously echo anything. So I made a point of watching and reading amnesia stories so I would avoid that. I actually gave many of them shoutouts within the novel; there's a Memento poster, and someone reading a Ludlum book, etc.

As for researching, it's such a great era for that. I posted on my Facebook profile that I wanted to talk to medical professionals who might know about amnesia; the next morning I had two or three messages from people who knew someone. One call led to another, and all of a sudden I found myself talking to some of the foremost experts in the field.

They were all very gracious and helpful, and I used many of the things they told me verbatim. But one thing they also told me was that there really aren't defined parameters for this; it's a rare and poorly understood phenomenon.

Which, as a writer, is the dream answer. It meant I got to put myself in his position and try to imagine what he would feel, what would be automatic versus learned, hell, even whether he knew how he liked his burger. It was a blast.

Q. You've written all your novels from the third person point of view and you've said you're not opposed to writing in first person, but it hasn't been the right choice for any of the books to date. THE TWO DEATHS OF DANIEL HAYES is also third person limited. What made it the right choice for this novel? As the reader, I know why I feel it was the best choice, but I'm interested to know why the creator thought so as well.

Marcus: Close third rocks. It combines many of the strengths of first person without the limitations. Plus close third allows for multiple characters without confusing a reader, which is tricky with firsts or first-third.

I felt it was particularly appropriate in this novel because it's also the way that Daniel is seeing the world. He's living in close third person. So by mirroring that in the language, I hoped to make a reader feel what he was feeling.

And of course, all of the other characters in the novel are facing identity issues of their own, which was part of the fun. I wanted to write a book where everyone's "self" was a bit slippery. In some cases, that's just minor characters in a state of change; in others...well, I don't want to give anything away....

This book makes me excited every time I write about it, talk about, think about it. It really is something extraordinary. Many thanks to Marcus for taking time to indulge me. And I'm also excited to announce that Kaye Publicity is donating a copy of Marcus' book THE AMATEURS to a lucky blog reader. All you have to do is complete the form below by April 17th. The contest is open to U.S. residents. And don't forget to send your TWO DEATHS OF DANIEL HAYES preorder verifications in to be entered in the iPod drawing.  

Celebrating Mulholland Books

The announcement of an imprint from Little, Brown and Company that would "publish books you can't stop reading" came in 2010. The impressive line-up of authors that would begin to make up the Mulholland Books team started to roll out.

April will officially put Mulholland on the publishing map, with the first two releases: Marcia Clark's GUILT BY ASSOCIATION on April 20th and Daniel Woodrell's THE BAYOU TRILOGY on April 28th.

Any time we have additional avenues through which to spread the love of crime fiction, there is cause to celebrate. But with the "official" launch of Mulholland Books I have the opportunity to give a reader a bunch of reasons to celebrate. In honor of this occasion, and with the generosity of Mulholland, I am able to give away a set of ARCs for all the first season books in Mulholland's line-up. This includes the Marcia Clark and Daniel Woodrell as well as new offerings from Mark Billingham, Lawrence Block and Duane Swierczynski. Check out all the titles here.

To be entered for your chance to win this great prize package, complete the entry form below. Entrants must have a U.S. Postal address, no P.O. boxes, and be entered by Friday, April 1st. Random Number Generator will help me find a winner on Saturday, April 2nd.  If you have any questions, feel free to drop me an email or leave your question in the comments area. Many, many thanks to Miriam Parker and Mulholland Books. Here's to many years of fabulous crime fiction!

VANISHED giveaway

In June Joseph Finder is releasing BURIED SECRETS, the sequel to VANISHED, which introduced private spy Nick Heller. This is the first time Joe's had a series character and he discussed that a bit at Love is Murder earlier this month.

I'm excited to announce that the folks over at Team Finder have a copy of VANISHED that they're allowing me to give away. So if you didn't have a chance to read VANISHED yet, you can win a copy here and read it in time to catch BURIED SECRETS when it comes out this summer. I know most of you can't start a series mid-way, and you can find out how Joseph Finder climbed the corporate ladder to CEO of Suspense.

All you need to do to enter is complete the form below - one entry per person. You need to have a U.S. postal address on this one and no P.O. boxes, please. I'm headed out of town on Thursday and will return on Saturday night, so I'll draw the winner from all the entries then. Good luck!

Special Guests Week: The Giveaway!

As you know, this week of special guests has been a joint project with Open Road Media. Well, they are generously providing FIVE readers a free e-book of their choice from the four authors presented this week: Jonathon King, Jack Higgins, Lawrence Block and Stephen Coonts.

To enter, simply complete the quick entry form below. I'll take entries through Wednesday, January 5, 2011! Then Open Road Media will choose five winners from all entries and they will contact the winners to get their choice of e-book.

If you have any questions, simply drop me an email or leave them in the comments section of this post. Good luck!

RECKLESS Giveaway!

As I'm getting ready to head out to the Mystery Bookstore for the Pre-Festival of Books Bash, I thought you all might like a little reason to celebrate as well. The kind folks at Wiredset have provided me with two copies of Andrew Gross's RECKLESS to give away here.

You know from my review last week that I think this is a definite must-read. If you missed my review of RECKLESS last week, you can see it here.

Here are the necessary details. This contest is open to anyone with a U.S. mailing address. And I will take entries through the RECKLESS release date, April 27th (midnight Eastern). Just complete the following form to be put in the drawing for one of the two copies.

If you have any questions, you can drop them in the comments or send me an email. Good luck!

Detectives Around the World - Sunday

To help us kick off the festivities, we have a couple of bloggers posting reviews today. And I have the scavenger hunt information available for you.

First, Charlotte is reviewing L.J. Sellers SECRETS TO DIE FOR at the Blood Red Pencil blog. Sellers' Detective Jackson calls Oregon home.

Later today, Trish will be reviewing Michelle Gagnon's THE TUNNELS at Hey Lady! Whatcha Readin'? While Michelle's series with Agent Kelly moves around, THE TUNNELS finds her in New England.

And finally, the first chance you have at winning for this theme week. On Saturday I will be posting a form here at Jen's Book Thoughts with 15 questions collected from various blogs participating in the theme week. All the answers can be found at their theme week posts. All you have to do is find the answers and complete the form.

There will be three winners for this scavenger hunt. The first place winner will receive a $20 gift certificate to Mystery Lovers Bookshop. The second and third place winners will each receive a novel of their choice from the prize cache. If multiple people have perfect responses, the winners will be chosen from a drawing.

So that you can find the answers as you read the posts throughout the week, I've posted a worksheet of the questions here. If you have any trouble accessing this document, email me and I'll send you a copy electronically.

The contest is open to anyone anywhere. Well, maybe not the folks up on the space station. I'm not sure what shipping would be THERE. But, you know what I mean. You will have from Saturday to Monday to submit your responses if you wish to be considered for the contest. If you have any questions, feel free to leave them in the comments or email me.

Technorati Tags: Detectives Around the World

SOUTH OF BROAD - Pat Conroy

FIRST SENTENCE: "It was my father who called the city the Mansion on the River."

SOUTH OF BROAD is an epic tale with an epic hero. Leopold Bloom King, Leo, is the awkward son of educators. He was left an only child when his handsome, popular, talented brother Steve committed suicide. Leo's awkwardness prevented him from fitting in the way Steve managed to fit in, but Leo found his place in a group that to outsiders may have appeared as misfits: orphans, African-Americans, a young gay male and his promiscuous sister, as well as a few kids from the "good side of the tracks." This group of friends didn't meld immediately but instead had to overcome their prejudices toward the other members of the group. Leo was the glue that held them together and often opened their eyes to the similarities as opposed to their differences. But once the managed to unite, they were devoted to each other for a lifetime. They experienced the growing pains of adolescence and the teenage years, attended college, married within the group, and stumbled into adulthood together. For two decades this group weathers the storms of life together.

Conroy illustrates the beauty of the South and simultaneously juxtaposes it with some of the ugliest of the South's blemishes. His artistic command of language pulls the reader into the lives of ordinary people and demands that he/she experience them as extraordinary human beings, making it easy to see how the common man can exemplify "hero."

Like his namesake, Leo is traveling. But instead of traveling through one day, Leo is traveling through a life. He is not only affected by the many people he encounters, but he affects them as well. And at the end of his travels, the reader is able to celebrate not one Bloom's Day but rather a King's lifetime.

Like Burke's bayous of Louisiana, Conroy's Charleston of Carolina is essential to his tales. His knowledge of the landscape and his talent for painting that landscape onto his pages, whispering its secrets into the prose, and sprinkling the bouquet of scents throughout the plot enhances the characters and themes so they are not separate entities but rather one cohesive story:

"As a boy, in my own backyard I could catch a basket of blue crabs, a string of flounder, a dozen redfish, or a net full of white shrimp. All this I could do in a city enchanting enough to charm cobras out of baskets, one so corniced and filigreed and elaborate that it leaves strangers awed and natives self-satisfied. In its shadows you can find metalwork as delicate as lace and spiral staircases as elaborate as yachts. In the secrecy of its gardens you can discover jasmine and camellias and hundreds of other plants that look embroidered and stolen from the Garden of Eden for the sheer love of richness and the joy of stealing from the gods. In its kitchens, the stoves are lit up in a happiness as the lamb in marinating in red wine sauce, vinaigrette is prepared for the salad, crabmeat is anointed with sherry, custards are baked in the oven, and buttermilk biscuits cool on the counter."

Some may argue that the events of SOUTH OF BROAD are a bit grandiose, but Conroy is writing an epic tale about a King, living in a mansion. Anything less would be unfitting.

It isn't often that I review a non-crime fiction novel on the blog, but many of you know I'm a devout Pat Conroy fan, and SOUTH OF BROAD is a prime example of why. I've come to hold Conroy to a high standard in his quality of writing. SOUTH OF BROAD did not disappoint. By the conclusion of the novel, I loved Charleston almost as much as Leo did. I loved Leo's friends almost as much as Leo did. And I loved Leo almost as much as Conroy did. Plus, Conroy throws in some plot twists that would give the great thriller writers a run for their money!

This review is the first stop on the SOUTH OF BROAD blog tour through TLC Blog Tours promoting the release of SOUTH OF BROAD in trade paperback (ISBN: 978-0385344074), which is available for pre-order now and will be out May 4, 2010. Available immediately, you can purchase SOUTH OF BROAD in hardcover (ISBN: 978-0385413053). You can find the other stops on the blog tour here.

The generous folks at Random House have offered a trade paperback copy of SOUTH OF BROAD to one of my readers, so if you'd like your chance at a copy, please complete the form below to be entered in the drawing. I will accept entries until April 9th. This contest is open to readers in the U.S. or Canada only. If you have any questions, feel free to drop it in the comments or email me. Good luck!

Some News, A Winner and a New Contest

Wow! It's almost the end of March. Where did this month go? Not that I'm complaining, mind you. It's moving us closer to warm weather.

This weekend I joined Audible and I'm trying to decide what book I want to choose for my free download. I'm so bad at making decisions like this, mostly because I want everything but want to make the "just right" choice. Some of the books I'm considering:

FACELESS KILLERS - Henning Mankell
NO TIME FOR GOODBYE - Linwood Barclay
PRIVILEGED INFORMATION - Stephen White

The direction I was trying to go was with someone I haven't read at all but someone I know I definitely want to start reading. These are all authors who have been highly recommended to me. Give me your thoughts. Do you have any input on any of these books? Do you have other suggestions for me? The tournament has got me excited about some new authors, too. I picked up a Brian Freeman book at the library so I can try him out. So, who else should I try? I want to put my free book to good use.

Today's the 23rd. That means it's release day for Alafair Burke's 212! As Alafair pointed out to me, 2-1-2 releases on 3-2-3. If you missed it before, here is my review of the new Ellie Hatcher. And I'm not the only one who loves it either. It's receiving great reviews everywhere. If you haven't read an Ellie Hatcher yet, now's the time to get on the ball. If, like me, you've been waiting for 212, IT'S HERE! Time to celebrate. I'm going to do just that by going to see Alafair on Saturday, so expect a recap from that event next week. Also, later this week I'll be recapping my trip to PA to meet Jo Nesbø! All kinds of fun. And the Festival of Books is quickly approaching as well.

Spinetingler had this great interview posted with Chris Grabenstein. I wanted to share it with you and remind you that May is bringing the new John Ceepak novel, ROLLING THUNDER, and you all must get a copy of this book. I've read it; it's wonderful; and I'm in it! So, I know you all want to have a souvenir of my literary debut!!

Alright, so I need to announce two items today. The first is the winner of OUR LADY OF IMMACULATE DECEPTION. And the random number generator awards the prize to Pete T. I have contacted Pete to get his mailing info and the book will go out to him ASAP.

Now you have a chance to win again! Woo hoo! And this is a great opportunity. I have a signed, first edition copy of Ken Mercer's SLOW FIRE. This debut has been receiving great reviews and just went into its second printing.

If you are unfamiliar with SLOW FIRE, it features former LAPD narcotics detective, Will Magowan. He left his job when he became addicted to the drugs he was supposed to be fighting against. With no job or wife, he's offered a position as a police chief in a tiny rural town full of dark secrets and Magowan has to try to save the town from destruction.

How about that for a thriller? Here's your chance to get your hands on it for free - signed even! If you have a U.S. mailing address complete the form below, and the random number generator will pick a winner next Tuesday. Don't delay!

Kickoff to my Craig McDonald Week

Wow do I have a week in store for you! It is going to be filled with everything Craig McDonald. And if you aren't familiar with Craig or his work, you will be by the end of this week. Craig's third novel, PRINT THE LEGEND, will be released next week. He's also the author of two books of incredible interviews, so to say I was intimidated when I interviewed Craig would be a gross underestimation. But Craig is wonderful and his interview is wonderful; I can't wait to share it with you later this week.

To kick off the festivities, though, I'm going to hold a giveaway for my ARC copy of PRINT THE LEGEND. Since I'm getting a finished copy of this novel, I'll pass my ARC on to another interested reader. I don't usually say this in regards to a series, but this is a series that can be read in any order. You'll see what I mean as I talk about the books throughout the week. So, you don't need to worry if you haven't read HEAD GAMES or TOROS & TORSOS. You'll want to read those too, I assure you, but you can read PRINT THE LEGEND first. On Wednesday you'll be able to read my review of PRINT THE LEGEND, but right now you can see a review from Corey at The Drowning Machine or a rave from Naomi at Wot larks, Pip!

There's a form below for you to complete with contact information. Please don't worry. I never use the information for anything other than sending a winner his/her prize. All information is destroyed once the contest ends. This one will be open to participants in the U.S., Canada, or Mexico. Plus, if you subscribe to this blog (you can find the subscription option at the bottom of the blog), you will receive two additional entries in the drawing. Be sure you verify your subscription via the email you receive. If you've already subscribed, you automatically receive two additional entries once you complete the form below. I will take entries until midnight Eastern time on Friday and I will pick the winner Saturday morning. If you have any questions, drop me an email. Good luck to everyone.

Win It Before You Can Buy It!

I have a couple fun things to share with you. The first one I can now officially announce because Chris has sent out some advance copies of his new book, ROLLLING THUNDER. It is the next book you have to place on your "must buy" list. ROLLING THUNDER is book number six in the John Ceepak series, and Officer Jen Forbus has joined the ranks of the Sea Haven Police Department! AND, you'll love this part, her speciality is...witness interviews! My partner in law enforcement is Nikki Bonanni, for those of you who know Nikki. I was fortunate enough to read ROLLING THUNDER in its pre-editing stages and can tell you that had I been left on the cutting room floor again, this still would have been a wonderful book in the tradition of the Ceepak series. I'm so excited for May when it's released and you'll all have a chance to check it out - and it's available already to preorder. So, put it on your radars, and I'll be reviewing it a tad closer to release date - but, I'm in it, what else could you possibly need to know? ;-)

The other fun item I have to share with you is a new contest! The wonderfully generous folks at Putnam contacted me with a giveaway offer. Here's a chance for you to win the new Alex Berenson spy thriller, THE MIDNIGHT HOUSE. This book releases this Tuesday and I will run the contest until noon Eastern on Monday. Then I'll turn the winner's contact information over to the kind folks at Putnam, and they'll send the winner his/her book.

If you aren't familiar with Alex Berenson, he's worked as a journalist for both the Denver Post and the New York Times. His first novel, THE FAITHFUL SPY, earned him an Edgar Award and his subsequent books have landed him on the New York Times Bestseller list. THE MIDNIGHT HOUSE is the fourth book in his John Wells series. You can read more about the entire series here.

O.k., so here's the skinny on the contest. It is open to all U.S. and Canadian residents. You must complete the entire form below before noon on Monday, February 8th to be eligible for the drawing. That's all there is to it. Good luck!

Havin' A Party! With Games!

Yes, it's here! It's here! Jen's Book Thoughts second anniversary AND the release of Robert Crais' THE FIRST RULE. So we have double the reason to party today.

First, as promised, I have winners in the Steve Hockensmith autographed books giveaway. Darcy O. is the winner of ON THE WRONG TRACK and Vicki W. is the winner of HOLMES ON THE RANGE. I have contacted both winners to get mailing information. Congratulations to you both.

Don't you love these dancing lemons? They cracked me up. And since they have better rhythm than I do, I thought I'd include them in the celebration today. I did try Pop Culture Nerd's suggestion of running naked through the snow. But since it's so darned cold, I moved fast...so fast that the image only resulted in a streak (pun intended) across the picture.

A few little factoids about Jen's Book Thoughts over the last two years. This post is post number 554. As of this writing there have been in excess of 32,100 unique visitors (of which, just under 5,000 visited in Year One), and those unique visitors have translated into many new book friends. I hope you will all stick around for Year Three. You are, after all, my motivation!

Year Three will see, God willing, a second season of 6-word memoirs, another Bouchercon and L.A. Times Festival of Books. More reviews, interviews, giveaways and other fun book stuff. I may even pop in some reviews of movies and TV. We'll see. I'm also working hard on a theme week for later this year. I have no intention of resting on my laurels. This is just too much fun! So again, I hope you'll stick around and join me for Year Three. Let's make it a great year of sharing books.

Alright. Let's talk about party requirements here. We have dancing lemons, hopping beagles. You are each required to join me in toast. Hold your glasses up to your monitors...I'm toasting you from my end of the blog-o-sphere, "here's to another great year with crime fiction and friends!"

And what's a party without games? We have a game in honor of R.C.'s book launch today. We waited over a year for this one, so it's cause for celebration, right? Oh, who am I kidding, we wouldn't have to wait a year to have cause for celebration. But this game is in his honor. And the inspiration came from Pop Culture Nerd. We were discussing "degrees of separation" between R.C. and well...everyone. So, today we're going to play Six Degrees of Robert Crais. I hope you all will play along with me. Here are the rules:

1. Pop Culture Nerd is starting off the game by giving me a name that would be recognizable to most people. I have to connect this person to R.C. in six degrees or less (but not any more).

2. I throw another name out that would be recognizable to most people (in other words, I can't pick my sister's ex-boyfriend from seventh grade).

3. The first person to comment and play the game, needs to connect the name I gave to R.C. in six degrees or less then come up with the name for the NEXT commenter. And so on as long as the comments go.

4. All connections must be real and verifiable. So, no, "I dreamed that..."

So let's see how well we can do with The Six Degrees of Robert Crais! Pop Culture Nerd's name is:

Kevin Bacon

Wasn't that nice of her? She gave me an easy one. I don't need six degrees, so here goes:

1. Kevin Bacon was the movie A FEW GOOD MEN with Demi Moore.
2. Demi Moore was married to and had three children with Bruce Willis
3. Bruce Willis played the role of Jeff Talley in the film version of Robert
   Crais' standalone HOSTAGE.

At first I had a name that would be kind of challenging. Not impossible, just challenging, but I'm going to be just as generous (maybe even more so) and choose the person I always thought would make a good Max Holman,

MARK HARMON

So now it's your turn. In the comments section, connect Mark Harmon to Robert Crais in six degrees or less and then contributed the next name. The names don't have to be Hollywood names, just names that would be recognizable by most people.

And thank you all for helping make this a FANTASTIC Year Two for Jen's Book Thoughts! Happy Reading!

A Snowy Evening with Steve Hockensmith and a Giveaway!

Welcome to 2010 everyone. Did you see the blue moon? I hope that everyone's year got off on the right foot. I'd like to help you in that "right foot" department. I have an event recap and a giveaway announcement for you today.

On Tuesday I had the great fortune to attend Steve Hockensmith's event at the Chagrin Falls Public Library. Many thanks to his in-laws for living in the Cleveland area and therefore affording us N.E. Ohioans this opportunity.

I, of course, had to be my regular obnoxious self and tell the world that Steve would be in the area and I was going, so Steve knew I would be there. I left early since I hadn't been to Chagrin Falls' library before and it was dark when I was driving there. But I had no problems and ended up being early. When Steve came he surprised me with a Christmas short story he published in the Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine in 2007 called "Humbug." How cool is that? Signed it for me and everything. What a great memento for me. Thanks Steve!



Steve was pleasantly surprised at the turnout. It was a very good crowd for a cold, snowy December Tuesday, the Tuesday after Christmas no less, in Ohio. We had a wonderful time and Steve did a fabulous job. If you have the opportunity to see Steve in action, definitely do it. A truly enjoyable time. He started out by talking a little about the Holmes on the Range series for those who were unfamiliar with it.

Steve followed up his overview with the announcement of his project due out in March, and that is the next book in the Pride and Prejudice and Zombies series. He has written Book 3, PRIDE AND PREJUDICE AND ZOMBIES: DAWN OF THE DREADFULS, which is actually a prequel. It will be out in March and the next Holmes on the Range should be out by the end of 2010. Presently, this Holmes on the Range book is titled, THE WORLD'S GREATEST SLEUTH! Steve is really hoping he gets to keep that exclamation mark in the title. However, this may possibly be the last of the Holmes on the Range series. So, keep your fingers crossed. Steve did say that looking at this book as possibly the last in the series has been a great experience for him as a writer because he's looking at the series as a whole. In his words, he says he wants to "leave them in a good place." He wants the book to be able to provide closure if it is the last - no "Gilligan Syndrome," but still have an opening for Book 6 if it isn't the last.


After talking a bit about Book 5, Steve read his Prelude from A CRACK IN THE LENS. He wanted the audience to be able to hear the Otto Amlingmeyer that he hears when he writes. Steve made an apology to the people of Kansas because the Amlingmeyers are from Kansas; however, Otto talks as though he's from Southern Indiana. This would be, of course, because Steve is from Southern Indiana. I always enjoy hearing an author read selections at book signings. I like to hear what the author hears in his/her own head as they are writing. It provides me with a better feel for the characters. And Steve discussed how important sound is in the Holmes on the Range novels. This is one of the elements I really like about Steve's writing. He distinctly illustrates the dialect, the cadence, the rhythm of the characters' voices. It isn't just about the words that they choose to say to each other; equally important is how they say the words.

After his reading, Steve took questions from the audience and the first question was related to the audio book versions of the series. I have not heard these audio books. Steve, however, likes the audio books because they 1.) allowed him to tell his daughter that he works with Bob the Builder because the narrator is the same man who voices Bob the Builder and 2.) he gets royalty checks from the audio book sales. Plus, he is very glad that they have brought more people to the series. He cannot, however, listen to them himself. Steve echoed what I've heard many authors say: they have in their minds what their characters sound like and the narrators don't match that sound or they interpret differently. If you think about how a subtle difference in something as simple as inflection can change the meaning of a sentence, interpretation can cause major changes in a book. And this is why I will often mention that a narrator can make or break a book for a reader/listener.


The next question was whether Steve was also one of two brothers, like Old Red and Big Red. And indeed he is. He is the younger of two brothers. He mentioned that, while he loves his big brother, his brother is not a "people person," kinda like Old Red. And Steve hopes that he isn't as much of a blow hard as Big Red, but Big Red is an extension of himself. He didn't make them similar to he and his brother consciously, though. The relationship grew out of necessity. He knew he wanted to have a Sherlock Holmes concept, and he wanted to set it in the American West. But he couldn't tell the story from the perspective of the genius detective and have any kind of mystery. So he needed a sidekick to tell the story. Then Steve had to ask himself why two cowboys would travel around together, and thus the brothers' relationship was born.

The inevitable writer question arose in this session, "do you plan your plot or write by the seat of your pants?" Steve is an outliner. He can't imagine not having a path to follow as he writes. If he sits down to write without having a clear idea of where the plot is going, he is stymied. While he does make discoveries along the way that may differ from his outline, he has never had a killer turn out to be someone other than who he initially planned it to be.

Another common question asked of writers was presented to Steve, "how did you find your agent?" And Steve explained that he is the exception to the rule. His agent found him, through his short story writing, actually. He did recommend forming relationships with other writers through things like writing groups and writing conventions and those relationships can often lead to agent connections. (The one detail I probably would have added to that recommendation is that it isn't good form to ask another writer to read your work or recommend you the minute you meet them.)

Steve also discussed his process to becoming a mystery novelist. He started out by writing short stories, science fiction short stories. Through this endeavor he learned his skill didn't really lie in science fiction. So he took a step back and then a step to the side, moving into mystery. He discovered mystery through THE BIG SLEEP. With THE BIG SLEEP he recognized some of the areas of writing that were his strengths and realized that he could use those strengths in the mystery genre, whereas they aren't as prominent in the science fiction genre.


Steve wrapped up the questions and signed books for everyone. Then I snagged him to get another picture. He was excited because he said he was going up on my "wall of hunks." Those are his words! :) But you know...those ARE some rather attractive men over there - they really agreed to have their pictures taken with ME?!


I also had Steve sign a copy of HOLMES ON THE RANGE and ON THE WRONG TRACK, books 1 and 2 in the Holmes on the Range series, so I could have a giveaway. What a perfect way to start out the year. And since my blogiversary is on the 12th, we'll have the 11th be the cut-off date, and I will announce the winners on the 12th as part of my celebration this year. I've put together another google doc to take your entries. You can enter for either or both of the books, but you will only be eligible to win one. So, I'll have two winners from this drawing. I have to restrict entries to U.S. postal addresses, though, sorry.

Monday Mystery Backlist - ON THE ROPES (Plus a Give-Away)

This week Tom Schreck will release the third book in his Duffy Dombrowski mystery series, OUT COLD. I reviewed OUT COLD in September; you can read it here if you missed it.

In honor of that release, I'm celebrating "Schreck Week." Today's Monday Mystery Backlist title will be ON THE ROPES, the first Duffy Dombrowski mystery. And at the end of this post I will be announcing an extra special give-away! On Friday we'll meet up with Tom for an "unprecedented" (thank you Mr. President) interview. I hope you'll stop by to see it.

But, without further ado, let's talk about ON THE ROPES. Published in 2007, ON THE ROPES introduced Duffy Dombrowski and a rich cast of characters. Duffy is a part-time boxer, full-time social worker who doesn't necessarily like playing by the rules, especially when those rules are nothing more than bureaucratic...well, ridiculousness.

For example, Duffy shouldn't be paying house calls to his clients, but had he not, he never would have learned about Walanda's missing step-daughter. Walanda is a client of Duffy's but she's also a schizophrenic, crack-addicted prostitute. When Walanda ends up murdered in jail, Duffy takes in her Muslim basset hound, Al, and goes in search of the missing step-daughter.

Ken Bruen says, "Not since Carl Hiassen's TOURIST SEASON debut has there been a novel with such superb comic timing and laugh-out-loud lines."

And Marcus Sakey describes Duffy as "an Everyman with a big heart and wicked jab, Duffy Dombrowski may well be the new Spenser."

And if you'd like to see what I had to say about ON THE ROPES, you can read my review from earlier this year, here.

As promised, I have an extra-special give-away for "Schreck Week." Because I love MY own set of Duffy Dombrowski books so much, I got a set to give away to a lucky winner - just in time for the holidays. My gift to you. PLUS, they're all signed: ON THE ROPES, TKO, and OUT COLD! All you have to do is fill out this handy dandy little form I've created here - only entries entered through the form will be accepted. I'm getting high tech on you! ;) The contest is open to anyone with a U.S. postal address. I will take entries through midnight on Friday (December 4th). One entry per person. On Saturday I'll consult the random number generator and find a winner. Good luck!

And remember to visit on Friday for Tom's Inquisition...I mean interview. Happy Reading!

A Spine-Chilling Book Giveaway

I'm ba-ack! Oh boy do I have fun stuff to share with everyone. But before I do any B'Con recap I need to announce a pretty fabulous giveaway that Hatchette Books is so very generously sponsoring for me to hold here. It includes the following FIVE books for each winner:

The Heretic's Daughter By Kathleen Kent ISBN: 031602449X
Sins of the Flesh By Caridad Piñeiro ISBN: 0446543837
When Ghosts Speak By Mary Ann Winkowski ISBN: 044658133X
BoneMan's Daughters By Ted Dekker ISBN: 1599951959
The Historian By Elizabeth Kostova ISBN: 0316070637

I will select two winners from all entries - with the help of the random number selector. The two winners will be included with all winners submitted to Hatchette and 20 lucky people from that pool of entries will also receive a galley of Ted Dekker's next book, THE BRIDE COLLECTOR.

O.k. how do you enter, you ask? Well, just send me an e-mail (if the link doesn't work for you, use forbyone [at] yahoo [dot] com) with a subject of "spine chiller." Include your full name and snail mail address in the body of the email. It needs to be a regular address, no P.O. Boxes, and you must be a resident of either the United States or Canada. I will take entries through midnight Eastern time on Friday, October 30th, and announce the winners on Halloween!

Let me know if you have any questions! Get those entries in and GOOD LUCK!